Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Wontumi, is urging party delegates to take a firm stance against Members of Parliament (MPs) who have lost popularity in their constituencies.
The call to action comes ahead of the party’s upcoming primaries, where decisions on candidate selection will be pivotal for the 2024 general election.
Speaking with journalists Wontumi stressed the need for delegates to endorse candidates who resonate with constituents to avoid a decline in votes for the governing party, ahead of the crucial election.
“Even if you know that as an MP you reduced [NPP] votes in the 2020 elections then it is better you thank your people and leave the scene because we don’t want to endorse an MP who will go and lose a seat again”, the known party stalwart said even though he refused to name some of the ‘unpopular’ lawmakers in question.
“[As a delegate] if you know your MP has become unpopular, vote him out because this is not about money or friendship. Just vote for the popular candidate because we need majority MPs in parliament”, he further stressed.
Asked about the exit of at least nine Ashanti MPs from parliament in 2025, Wontumi said: “These MPs have done extremely well. They are moving forward to support the party in diverse ways…And as a chairman, I know that any assistance I need I will fall on them for an intervention”.
“I will miss all of them, especially Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, he is an institution”, he said.
The NPP parliamentary primaries will be held on 27 January 2024 in constituencies with sitting MPs. It is the last internal election as the party prepares for the general elections in December.
Reporting by Jonathan Ofori, Ashanti Region
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